Chapter 490: The Final Battle
"S-God is amazing!"
"Battle Maniac Bro is going down!"
"Damn, the aerial advantage is too much—Battle Maniac Bro has no way to fight back!"
"No choice, it's a class counter."
Cheers and discussions erupted from the audience stands—it was the first match of the Round of 32.
"Aaaah—"
In the center of the arena, Born Battle Maniac let out a sky-shaking roar, his entire body drenched in blood, riddled with countless arrows.
His chest, arms, back, and thighs—there was hardly a spot on him that remained unscathed. Yet, despite this, the berserker still glared furiously at his airborne opponent.
"Roar—"
With the last of his strength, he hurled his great axe into the sky, but the wyvern knight simply ascended slightly, dodging it with ease.
"Clang—"
The axe crashed into the ground, embedding itself deep in the earth.
And yet, another arrow whistled through the air, piercing straight into Born Battle Maniac's chest, directly impaling his frantically beating heart.
He let out an unwilling roar, but in the end, he fell backward.
There was no other outcome.
Born Battle Maniac had already given it his all in this match, but his opponent was Singo—and as a teammate, Singo knew him far too well.
Throughout the entire battle, Singo played conservatively.
He constantly circled in the sky, whittling down Born Battle Maniac's health with relentless arrow fire, eventually kiting him to death.
Meanwhile, Born Battle Maniac desperately sought opportunities to strike back, but Singo's exceptional riding skills never gave him the chance to close the distance.
Sitting atop his wyvern, Singo looked down at the fallen berserker and murmured, "Sorry, Berserker, but this is a competition."
The commentator announced, "Let's congratulate Singo on another victory!"
"S-God is unstoppable!"
"Who said S-God couldn't beat Berserker?"
"Tch, Singo is only good at kiting from the sky—his matches are boring as hell."
"So shameless."
"Yeah, wait till Frenzy Bro puts him in his place."
"This is esports. As long as the strategy is within the rules, winning is all that matters. You guys—"
For controversial players like Singo, the fights in the audience were sometimes just as intense as those in the arena.
Round of 16, Match 4.
Summer Night Autumn Rain hovered mid-air, golden eyes blazing with fire.
Firewall!
"Boom!"
With the sound of the air igniting, a scorching wall of flames erupted from the ground, blocking her front.
However, the massive armor suit charged straight through, its surface covered by a spherical force field shield, the thrusters on its back erupting with energy.
The chainsaw sword on its right arm spun wildly as it slashed downward.
Summer Night Autumn Rain's eyes flickered. Flames danced across her robe as her figure became illusory.
Fire Leap.
A pillar of flame burst dozens of meters away, condensing into Summer Night Autumn Rain's form.
"Buzz—"
Iron Frenzy's chainsaw sword struck empty air, instead biting into the ground, sending shattered rocks flying.
"Oh? You actually dodged?"
Iron Frenzy sounded intrigued, but he didn't stop attacking. He turned his armor, extending his left arm.
The cannon muzzle glowed with terrifying energy, crackling with lightning.
"Boom—"
A thick lightning beam ripped through the air, surging straight toward Summer Night Autumn Rain.
Her expression shifted. She raised both hands, conjuring a dome-like fire shield.
"Sizzle—"
Lightning and flames clashed, canceling each other out with explosions, sending dazzling sparks and arcs of electricity flying.
Steam hissed from Iron Frenzy's armor, the power core within flashing with energy.
Not only was he firing lightning, but he had also activated his thrusters, rapidly closing the distance to Summer Night Autumn Rain.
As a Dragon Pact Sorcerer, Summer Night Autumn Rain's spellcasting was incredibly potent, but Iron Frenzy had spent over a hundred gold coins on energy minerals this time.
His newly upgraded Omega Energy Armor alone had cost tens of thousands of gold coins—an investment worthy of a modern-day warrior.
This was the power of wealth.
"Crack."
With a crisp shattering sound, the fire shield finally reached its limit and collapsed.
Summer Night Autumn Rain attempted another Fire Leap, but the lightning beam swept across her, piercing her body, sending arcs of electricity surging across her form.
Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed over her—it was Iron Frenzy, now right in front of her, chainsaw sword raised high.
"Pardon me."
"Buzz—"
"Let's congratulate Iron Frenzy on the victory!"
"That was brutal… my poor Autumn Rain."
"Frenzy Bro is insane!"
"Flesh is weak—mechanical ascension!"
"Frenzy Bro's fights are way more exciting. Crush Singo in the finals!"
"Singo eliminates Born Battle Maniac!"
"Mage vs. Sorcerer! Royal Authority's Vice President Windcloud falls to Summer Night Autumn Rain!"
"Iron Frenzy steamrolls another opponent—one step closer to the championship!"
"Charlotte uses a Banish Undead scroll to eliminate Rainy Fortress, avenging Vice President Mingyue!"
"Iron Frenzy continues his ruthless streak, cutting Summer Night Autumn Rain in half with his chainsaw sword, leaving fans heartbroken!"
"Singo shoots a Spellbreaker Arrow through Charlotte's heart, advancing to the semi-finals—the last mage has fallen!"
As the elimination rounds progressed, forum discussions became more heated than ever, pushing the competition's popularity to its peak.
Even players who couldn't participate could instantly watch match recordings online and argue with rival fans.
As the tournament advanced, fewer and fewer players remained in the contestant seats.
At this stage, no one would surrender willingly. Every match was a fight to the bitter end.
These professional players showcased their full arsenal of skills, each battle more thrilling than the last.
Not only were players glued to their screens, but even Imperial citizens who had purchased tickets were utterly captivated.
Given the Empire's martial culture, these battles were wildly popular—some even profited by selling recording stones of the fights.
"The finals of the Empire's first Gladiator Tournament are about to begin!"
"The ultimate showdown!"
"A battle between the strongest guild leader and the strongest solo player!"
In the end, only two contenders remained:
The leader of the [Machine Cult], manager of the Klauber Armory Group, and Level 8 Omega Engineer—Iron Frenzy.
And the strongest solo player in "Erezaghe", legendary guide-maker, and Level 8 [Crimson Scaled Conqueror]—Singo.
The final match would take place on the last day before the server shut down. After the awards ceremony, all players would log out—stepping into a new era.
As a result, the finals had become the center of everyone's attention.
Before the match, during a press interview, Iron Frenzy appeared relaxed, while Singo maintained his usual flamboyant attitude.
Iron Frenzy: "Heh, Singo is very strong. I'd say I have a 50% chance of winning."
Singo: "If the total was 100%, then yeah, he has 50%."
Instantly, the forums erupted into another wave of heated debates, with Iron Frenzy's fans and Singo's fans engaging in fierce arguments, sparking wave after wave of trash talk.
"Citizens of the Empire, welcome back to the battlefield."
"Today, there will be only one match—the grand finals. I'm sure you've all been eagerly awaiting this."
"As for our competitors, their names are already legendary, so there's no need for further introduction."
"Let's welcome our red-side competitor—Iron Frenzy!"
Iron Frenzy, clad in Omega Energy Armor, emerged from the contestant tunnel, smiling and waving toward the crowd.
"Frenzy Bro!"
"Flesh is weak—mechanical ascension!"
"Praise Omnissiah! Ring the bell three times!"
"Singo's pre-match trash talk was way too arrogant—crush him!"
The audience's cheers roared like a tidal wave. Even the Empire's native citizens shouted their support for Iron Frenzy.
After all, his fusion of steel and bloodshed fit perfectly with the Ember Empire's aesthetic of violent beauty, winning the favor of the people.
"Dong—Dong—"
The members of [Machine Cult] had actually brought a bell to the arena. Its deep chimes echoed throughout the venue, forming the background rhythm of the crowd's excitement.
The commentator continued, "And now, let's welcome the blue-side competitor—Singo!"
A wyvern knight soared into the arena, circling high above before gradually descending to the ground.
The audience erupted once more, though this time the cheers were mixed with curses.
"S-God is unstoppable!"
"S-God must be the champion!"
"Singo ran his mouth before the match—I wanna see if he can back it up."
"Singo is dead meat!"
The two contestants stepped into their designated positions, locking eyes with each other.
With a signal from the referee, the match began.
"Boom—"
The thrusters on Iron Frenzy's back erupted with dazzling flames as his massive armor charged toward Singo.
"Ascend, wyvern!"
Singo calmly issued the command, and the wyvern flapped its wings powerfully, rapidly climbing in altitude.
"Swish—"
A cannon on Iron Frenzy's left shoulder extended, launching a massive capture net toward the sky, aiming to trap the wyvern.
Singo leaned forward, gripping the reins tightly, maneuvering the wyvern into a sharp turn. The electrified net barely grazed past them.
By now, they had ascended nearly a hundred meters into the air.
"It's not over yet."
"I call this—the Birdcage Tactic!"
Iron Frenzy smirked within his forcefield.
Another massive cannon emerged from his right shoulder, slowly adjusting its aim toward the sky, locking onto the wyvern knight.
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
One after another, spherical lightning bombs shot into the air, predicting Singo's flight path, forming an electrified arc.
Singo twisted through the sky, weaving between tight spirals, dives, and aerial flips.
It wasn't about showing off his flying skills—it was about dodging the preemptive strikes of the lightning orbs.
The lightning bombs exploded, releasing arcs of electricity, forming a massive net that loomed over the sky.
Singo danced through the gaps, occasionally drawing his bow to fire arrows.
But Iron Frenzy's forcefield was too thick—ordinary arrows couldn't penetrate it.
"I can't keep this up."
"His setup is too tailored against me. If this continues, I'll be trapped in the air."
"Now... I have to engage in close combat!"
Singo leaned forward, urging his wyvern into a steep dive toward Iron Frenzy.
"Roar—"
The wyvern let out a deafening cry, and a massive red dragon phantom appeared behind it.
Dragon Roar Charge!
Iron Frenzy showed no fear, raising his right arm and firing a concentrated lightning beam.
"Boom—"
However, the wyvern spread its wings mid-air, narrowly dodging the attack.
The lightning beam skimmed past its chest, leaving a charred mark.
Iron Frenzy then swung his left fist.
With its thrusters igniting, his massive fist rocketed toward the incoming wyvern—there was no way to dodge.
"Bam!"
"Screech—"
Teeth shattered. Blood splattered.
With a resounding impact, the iron fist struck the wyvern's head, sending it flying.
But Singo had already leaped from its back, rolling upon landing before tossing several metallic discs toward Iron Frenzy.
His face filled with manic excitement, he licked the blood off his lips.
"Did you think you were the only one prepared?"
"I've been waiting for this too!"
The metallic discs latched onto the [Guardian] armor's joints and core, flashing red warning lights.
"Beep, beep, beep—"
These were [Magical Electromagnetic Pulse Devices]—specifically designed to disrupt constructs. Singo had acquired them through special means.
Iron Frenzy's voice trembled.
"N-No way—"
"How could this—"
"Boom!"
The metal discs exploded, releasing blue energy fields.
The towering [Guardian] armor collapsed, as if its power had been drained. The once-brilliant energy core dimmed.
"No—"
Iron Frenzy let out a pained cry.
The audience gasped in shock.
"Frenzy Bro's armor is down!"
"It's over—he's done for! Engineers have no melee combat skills!"
"Is this the end?"
Singo approached the cockpit, staring at Iron Frenzy through the reinforced glass.
He twirled his sword before pointing its tip at his opponent.
"Frenzy Bro, your proud armor is gone. Will you surrender?"
Iron Frenzy's eyes burned with rage as he gritted his teeth. "I worked so hard on that armor!"
"I didn't want to use my final trump card, but—Singo, you've gone too far!"
"We at [Machine Cult] always believed flesh was weak, and machines were supreme, but since the technology isn't perfect yet..."
Singo's expression changed drastically.
As Iron Frenzy spoke, his body began transforming—his muscles bulging, his skin covered in dark red dragon-scale armor.
"A little bodily modification is perfectly normal!"
Second Heart, activate!
Bone Reinforcement System, activate!
Muscle Enhancement System, activate!
Blood Regeneration System, activate!
Dragon Vein Genetic Gland, activate!
Dragon Scale Exosuit, activate!
A four-meter-tall, dark red armored Iron Frenzy shattered the cockpit glass, standing atop the wreckage.
"This is the perfect fusion of [Machine Cult]'s genetic technology and mechanical advancements—a super-soldier engineered from dragon blood. I am honored to be its first subject."
"I initially wanted to name it 'Astartes' or 'Space Marine,' but the Empire officials rejected those."
Iron Frenzy casually picked up the chainsword from the ground and pulled the cord, causing the jagged teeth to rotate rapidly.
"Bzzz—"
"Thus, behold the arrival of Vitagus Dragon-Scale Monk!"
By now, Singo had retreated more than ten meters away. He had already sensed an incredibly dangerous aura and knew he had to be cautious.
He drew his Hunter's Longbow fully, releasing arrows toward Iron Frenzy, but they harmlessly bounced off the dragon-scale armor.
"Clang! Clang!"
Even explosive and poison-tipped arrows were ineffective against this modified warrior.
Iron Frenzy's strength, agility, and reflexes far surpassed those of ordinary humans. This was the pinnacle achievement of [Machine Cult]'s geneticists, utilizing dragon DNA.
"It's useless—become the sacrifice for my Guardian armor, Singo!"
Iron Frenzy leaped forward at incredible speed, arriving instantly before Singo, raising the chainsword high and slamming it down.
"Bzzz—"
Blood and flesh scattered everywhere as the match concluded. It was Singo's first death since entering Erezaghe.
The commentator shouted with excitement: "The winner of the finals has emerged!"
"Congratulations to Iron Frenzy for becoming the Empire's first Dragonflame Champion!"
"Holy crap! The bigwigs from [Machine Cult] even managed to make a tin can?"
"Iron Frenzy is unstoppable!"
"Flesh is weak—mechanical ascension!"
The audience erupted into deafening cheers, celebrating wildly as, after days of intense battles, the ultimate champion had finally emerged!